On-prem client replacing Extractor
We are deprecating the uplink-based on-premise extractor and replacing it with the on-prem clients.
Important
We will keep supporting the existing uplink extractors. There is no timeline for when this service will be sunset. However, all new installations should use the new on-prem clients.
Why are we replacing the Extractor
The Exractory has all of the orchestration and processing logic embedded in the on-premise component. This created problems in two areas - distributing the updates and reliability. All improvements and hotfixes to work required subsequent upgrades to the existing on-premise Extractor to propagate the changes. On the other hand, the extraction was limited by the resources of the server, and for larger datasets problems happened frequently.
What are the benefits of the new on-prem client
Cloud updates - Most of the orchestration and processing have been rewritten to run in the cloud. This significantly simplifies the distribution of updates over the cloud deployments. Upgrading of the on-premise will be required only in exceptional cases, if at all.
Improved reliability and scalability - Transfer of the processing to the cloud takes the load off the on-premise agent and allows us to handle more data with less on-premise capabilities.
Simplified setup
The same SAP connection can be used both for SAP Extractor and the Process Automation.
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010, which had to be installed for the parquet conversion, is not required anymore since the conversion is done in the EMS cloud.
A user-friendly GUI has been added to monitor and manage the on-prem client installation and services.
Migrating from the Legacy Extractor to the OPC
The on-prem client runs independently from the deprecated Extractor.
To start using the new on-prem client, you must run the full installation from scratch following our guidelines. See Installing on-prem clients. Once the installation is done, you need to point to the newly installed client in the Data Connections.
Tip
You can keep the deprecated Extractor running while you test our new solution. You can switch from the on-prem clients to the legacy Extractor anytime in the Data Connection if an issue is observed. Once you feel confident about the new data pipeline, you can simply remove the legacy Extractor by uninstalling the Windows or Linux service.